The DCFW Implementation Support Project for the DHHS Child Behavioral Health Leadership Team and its component projects proposal creates an implementation science, practice-based approach in support of a multi-tiered policy/governance, program (e.g., EBP) support, and delivery system across North Carolina. The Impact Center expects to work alongside and receive directions from DCFW Leadership, embed implementation science best practices within the team, its projects, and support system partners where directed. This multi-tiered support system endeavors to:

1. Provide effective, timely, relevant implementation and organization science-informed best practice supports - encouraging leaders and staff to develop and use implementation science competencies and capacities at all system levels, supporting DHHS leadership, division, and project teams where requested. Success will enhance agency goals for effective whole-child services integration and other key policy priorities;
2. Support DHHS capacity development for Medicaid reforms, school behavioral health, crisis services, resiliency network development, and other designated policy and program reforms through effective capacity building/use of implementation and organization science design and support system strategies impacting state leaders, LME/MCO partners, and partners. One component includes the dissemination of key lessons learned from previous projects including tools/resources developed from the former BBI-Six Core Strategies project. In addition, we will continue to develop/publish a well-designed universal implementation web hub inclusive of prior lessons learned while pivoting toward broad implementation science best practices information, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and curated resources benefiting DCFW programs, participants, and partners;
3. Apply, for specific projects, implementation science best practices facilitating appropriate capacity development and performance for policy-specific outcomes; and
4. Facilitate the identification of key intermediary organization (IO) functional supports with DHHS and DCFW leaders to foster growth of a sustained, partnership complementing DHHS capacities where important to do so.

Expected outcomes include the development and improvement of various capacities among DCFW team and project leaders to strategically and effectively lead state level projects or initiatives, using research-based implementation and prevention science strategies, frameworks, action plans, and continuous improvement methods. Creating state level implementation science proficiencies among leaders and managers can significantly improve team performance, individual project, and system outcomes. These proficiencies can further enhance governance system practices between state, managed care organizations, community agencies, consumers, and other stakeholders.